Chapter Summaries

Dane gained the divine spark of the God of Death by guiding the trapped souls to rest, while Batman and Diana cleared the manor of humans and fought Nirgal. Nirgal escaped into a pocket dimension inside a movie screen, and Dane began a spell to expel it.

• Dane used his staff to gather the dead souls and earned recognition from the divine spark, becoming a newly ascended God of Death.
• Dane sent Constantine out of the manor and promised to rescue Tracy, then flew to the ballroom.
• Batman removed the humans from the manor, and an Eternal Metal missile killed Nirgal after it regenerated.
• Diana fought Nirgal and its underlings, binding the demon with her golden lasso before it turned to smoke and escaped into a movie screen.
• Dane examined the screen's pocket dimension and cast Holy Light Expulsion.

Dane destroyed the devils inside Nirgal’s screen world, then rescued Tracy and returned her soul to her body. After the haunted house burned, Constantine joined the organization, only to learn it had no salary or benefits.

• Dane used the crystal, holy light, and Power of Death to burn the devils, causing Nirgal’s screen world to collapse.
• Diana nearly beheaded Nirgal, but Dane stopped his attempt to kill Tracy by pulling out his heart, and Diana finished him.
• Dane removed Tracy’s soul from Nirgal’s heart, erased her memories of the ordeal, and sent her back to her body, where she awoke beside her parents.
• Yasa praised Johnny and returned to Hell, while Batman learned Constantine had smuggled five demons into the manor inside his body.
• Dane and Diana emerged as the haunted house burned, and Dane told Constantine that the organization offered no pay or benefits.

Dane recruited Constantine under a contract that secretly bound Constantine’s soul to him, then tried to force the Enchantress to submit so she could help him create a death-powered artifact. After weeks of torment, the Enchantress began enjoying the treatment, leaving Dane unsure how to proceed.

• Dane hired Constantine, limited which expenses Umbrella would reimburse, and secretly used a magical contract to claim Constantine’s soul.
• Clark complained that Dane had left him out of the Los Angeles mission, and Dane promised to include him next time.
• Dane returned to the Rock of Eternity to research an artifact containing the Power of Death and decided to seek the Enchantress’s help with curses.
• Dane entered June Moone’s mind and demanded that the Enchantress acknowledge him as her master, but she refused.
• Dane repeatedly shocked the Enchantress with controlled lightning, and her power grew while her resistance gradually softened.
• Dane stopped the treatment after noticing the Enchantress seemed pleased by it, and she looked at him as if she wanted him to continue.

Enchantress agreed to submit to Dane and signed a contract, after which he brought her into research on the God of Death’s divine artifact. In Gotham, Batman rescued a kidnapped boy, fought a changed Killer Croc, and chased Catwoman after she stole the ransom money, ending with their pursuit still underway.

• Enchantress agreed to submit to Dane, signed his contract, and joined him in studying the God of Death’s divine artifact.
• Batman infiltrated a dock, defeated the kidnappers, and rescued Raymond Edward IV before a crocodile-like attacker ambushed them.
• Batman subdued the attacker, whom he recognized as a more savage and inhuman Killer Croc, and learned that Raymond was the Lamont family heir.
• The FBI arrived and discovered that the ten-million-dollar ransom was missing, while Batman spotted Catwoman escaping with it.
• Batman pursued Catwoman, questioning why Selina had stolen cash, and she taunted him as their chase continued.

Batman was shot while pursuing Catwoman, then learned that Nightwing had been critically injured in a gang attack. Thomas Elliot saved Dick with emergency surgery, and Bruce moved him to the Manor despite Thomas’s objections.

• A sniper shot Batman after severing his rope, but his Nano Suit protected him from the fall and he defeated the Yamada-gumi thugs who swarmed him.
• Batman called Dane to ask who was in Gotham, then learned from Alfred that Nightwing had been badly injured.
• Batman found Red Hood killing the gang assassins and rushed Nightwing to the Batcave for treatment.
• Unable to find a capable surgeon in Gotham, Bruce called his childhood friend Thomas Elliot, who traveled from Philadelphia and operated on Nightwing for ten hours.
• The Bat-Family visited Dick after the surgery, and Bruce later transferred him to the Manor despite Thomas warning that the move endangered his life.

Batman tracked Killer Croc and Catwoman to Poison Ivy, learning she had manipulated them with promises and hormonal control. At Ivy’s botanical garden hideout, Batman and Catwoman discovered she had also controlled Superman, who struggled briefly before she ordered him to attack.

• Bruce kept Thomas from investigating further, then learned from Nightwing that Deathstroke had attacked him.
• Batman followed Killer Croc’s tracker and found him confronting Catwoman over the stolen ten million dollars.
• Killer Croc told Batman that Poison Ivy had promised to cure his illness, and Amanda Waller arrived to take him into custody.
• Batman took Catwoman with him and followed her lead to Poison Ivy’s botanical garden hideout.
• Poison Ivy revealed Superman under her control, ordered him to kill Batman and Catwoman, and Clark struggled before his eyes glowed with heat vision.

Batman used gas to stop Poison Ivy from making Superman attack, then summoned Dane, who defeated Clark and helped Batman interrogate her. Poison Ivy revealed that a bandaged man calling himself Hush had forced her to cooperate, and Dane opened a portal and sent the unconscious Clark through it before freeing her restraints.

• Batman released gas between the plants and held Poison Ivy at bay with an igniter while he and Catwoman wore breathing masks.
• Batman contacted Dane, who arrived and knocked Poison Ivy unconscious before fighting Clark and carrying him away from the city.
• Dane defeated Clark in Arkham City and later returned to the botanical garden carrying him unconscious.
• Batman interrogated Poison Ivy, who said Hush had captured her friend and forced her to cooperate, but she knew neither his real identity nor how to contact him.
• Dane opened a portal, threw Clark through it, and snapped Poison Ivy's steel-wire restraints apart.

Dane learned that a bandaged man had kidnapped Poison Ivy’s friend Harlene Quinzel and used Ivy to target Catwoman, Killer Croc, and Superman. After discovering that someone had monitored Batman’s computer, Dane identified Harold as a likely suspect while Batman went to meet Deathstroke.

• Dane ordered Poison Ivy to help Clark with desensitization training until he could break free of her control.
• Batman arranged to pay Deathstroke twenty million dollars to meet him at a bell tower, then left with Catwoman.
• A bandaged man watched Batman and Catwoman leave and muttered Bruce’s name with hatred and jealousy.
• Poison Ivy told Dane that the bandaged man had threatened Harlene Quinzel and asked her to steal Killer Croc’s money and control Superman against Batman.
• Dane had Cortana inspect Batman’s computer, and she found a monitoring device that pointed toward Batman’s computer consultant, Harold.

Batman learned that Hush had hired Deathstroke to attack Nightwing and discovered that Harold had disappeared, while Thomas saved Dick after his condition worsened. Dane infiltrated Thomas's hidden laboratory and found Harleen Quinzel, then uncovered records showing Thomas had been infected by the Joker virus and was trying to resist its influence.

• Deathstroke admitted that Hush had paid him to cut Nightwing's rope and revealed that Clayface was also working for the employer.
• Batman found that Harold had vanished, and Thomas operated on Nightwing at Wayne Manor after Dick's condition deteriorated.
• Dane used Astral Projection to enter Gotham General Hospital's hidden basement, where he found Harleen imprisoned in an isolation room.
• Dane read Thomas's research logs and learned that Thomas had secretly taken samples from Joker while working at Arkham Asylum.
• Dane discovered that Thomas had become infected by the Joker virus and had sought Harleen's help to fight the growing Joker personality.

Dane entered Harleen Quinzel’s mind and discovered that Harley Quinn had been reliving deaths at the hands of a terrifying version of him, born from Joker’s memories. He destroyed that false Dane, and Harley recognized the real Dane as different as her transformation continued.

• Dane read Thomas’s experiment log and learned how Thomas and the Joker personality had joined forces against Bruce.
• Dane entered Harleen’s mind after she sensed his presence in the isolation room.
• Dane found Harley Quinn trapped in a nightmare version of Arkham Asylum, repeatedly killed by a blood-clad version of himself.
• Dane killed the false version by piercing and burning him, then told Harley she had misunderstood him.
• Harley excitedly recognized that Dane was different from the figure in her nightmare.

Dane restored Harlene Quinzel’s choice to her and left her to decide whether to remain Harley Quinn. Thomas discovered Dane’s message and plan targeting Bruce Wayne’s weakness, and on the anniversary of his parents’ deaths, Bruce found their graves empty and set out as Batman.

• Dane separated Harlene Quinzel from Harley Quinn and gave Harlene the choice to shape her own future.
• Thomas found that an unknown program had erased his Joker-virus research logs and left him a message about Bruce Wayne’s vulnerability: his parents.
• Bruce visited his parents’ burial chamber and discovered that both coffins were empty.
• Bruce put on the Bat Suit and drove away without telling Catwoman where he was going.

Damian reunited with Ra's al Ghul and Talia, who revealed their plan to eliminate Batman and remake Bruce Wayne as the League of Assassins’ heir. After Ra's disabled Damian with an EMP, Batman’s changed presence was felt across Gotham as Blackgate Prison went dark.

• Damian left Wayne Manor in Dane’s Nano Suit and met Ra's al Ghul at the rebuilt chemical factory.
• Ra's explained that he and Talia had brought Lazarus Pit water to Gotham and intended to destroy Batman, with Damian’s help.
• Ra's used an EMP to disable Damian’s suit and capture him, while Talia reassured him that they would not kill Bruce.
• Damian told Talia about Batman’s relationship with Catwoman, and Talia reacted with anger.
• Gotham’s gangs noticed Batman’s growing impact, and Blackgate Prison suddenly lost power.

Batman infiltrated Blackgate Prison to investigate a new Clayface working for Hush, then confronted Amanda Waller about her experiments with Clayface tissue. Waller identified Johnny Williams as the recipient of the copied abilities, and Batman vanished after getting the answer.

• Batman sabotaged his way into Blackgate Prison during a blackout and found Basil Karlo in his cell.
• Batman overpowered Basil and learned that Amanda Waller had collected Clayface samples and might know about the new Clayface.
• Batman confronted Waller in the control room and stopped her agents from attacking him.
• Batman deduced that Waller had replicated Clayface's abilities and asked who had received them.
• Waller named Johnny Williams, and Batman disappeared from the control room.

Batman learned that Clayface had been involved in stealing his parents’ coffins, then Talia ambushed him and Catwoman and took Damian. After losing track of both Damian and Catwoman, Batman received a video call from Ra's al Ghul, who invited him to talk.

• Batman discovered that Johnny Williams had been a disfigured former firefighter who killed two women, and learned Clayface had been involved in the coffin theft.
• Talia al Ghul ambushed Batman and Catwoman, and fought Catwoman until Batman intervened.
• Talia threatened to take Damian away, then left; Batman followed her and lost her trail.
• Batman called the manor and learned Damian was missing, then returned to find Catwoman gone and her whip left behind.
• Ra's al Ghul called Batman and invited him to come speak with him.

Batman faced Ra's al Ghul and Hush at the old ACE Chemical Plant, where Ra's offered to resurrect Bruce Wayne's parents with the Lazarus Pit. As Bruce struggled with the offer, Dane warned Damian that the Pit might have a demonic cost, and Ra's prepared to demonstrate its power on Catwoman.

• Batman arrived at ACE Chemical Plant and confronted Ra's al Ghul and Hush, who revealed that they had Bruce's parents' coffins and Catwoman captive.
• Ra's told Bruce that the Lazarus Pit could resurrect his parents, and Bruce wavered as he imagined his family reunited.
• Hush mocked Bruce's temptation and said he wanted Batman dead, while Damian secretly watched and questioned whether he should help his father.
• Dane contacted Damian through his suit and warned him that the Lazarus Pit might be tied to demons and that resurrection came at a high price.
• Ra's offered to demonstrate resurrection on Catwoman, and Batman protested as Ra's dismissed her life as worthless.

Dane rescued the coffins from Ra's al Ghul and exposed Clayface's disguise, while Batman rushed to protect Wayne Manor. Dane then confronted the surviving Ra's al Ghul, who rose from the helicopter wreckage despite his injuries.

• Damian rescued Catwoman as Dane arrived at the chemical plant, where Ra's al Ghul cut the coffin chains and Dane caught the falling coffins.
• Dane revealed that the coffins Ra's al Ghul had stolen were decoys, then had Enchantress replace them at Wayne Manor with the real coffins.
• Enchantress spotted Hush approaching Wayne Manor and warned Dane, who discovered that the apparent Hush was Clayface in disguise and sealed him inside a magical urn.
• Dane told Batman that the real Hush was likely at Wayne Manor, and Batman used Dane's Portal to rush there.
• Dane struck Ra's al Ghul's escaping plane with lightning, then found Ra's al Ghul alive in the wreckage and caught his poisonous gas.

Dane killed Ra's al Ghul, then discovered the Lazarus Pit was tied to Trigon and that Ra's al Ghul's soul was beyond his reach. He let Damian take Ra's al Ghul and Talia to Blackgate Prison, while Harleen Quinzel escaped her restraints and Harley awakened within her.

• Dane killed Ra's al Ghul with the Kiss of Death after stopping him from detonating a nuclear bomb.
• Dane revived Ra's al Ghul in the Lazarus Pit, killed him again, and sensed that Trigon controlled the Pit and Ra's al Ghul's soul.
• Damian rescued Ra's al Ghul from the Pit, and Dane ordered him to take both Ra's al Ghul and Talia into custody.
• Damian led Ra's al Ghul and Talia toward Blackgate Prison, leaving Catwoman behind at ACE Chemical Plant.
• Harleen Quinzel escaped her basement restraints after Harley awakened within her, but Harley did not take control of her body.

Harley persuaded Harlene to surrender control, killed Harold, and returned to Hush’s basement seeking the mysterious man she believed could save them. At the ACE Chemical Plant, Harley attacked Catwoman and fell into the Lazarus Pit as she and Harlene fought for control; meanwhile, Bruce and Hush faced off at Wayne Manor.

• Harley took control of Harlene’s body, seduced Harold into opening her cell, and killed him before escaping Gotham General Hospital.
• Harlene returned to Hush’s basement, found his plan involving a mysterious man, and followed Harley’s urging to search for him.
• At the ACE Chemical Plant, Harlene found Catwoman instead of Dane and attacked her when Catwoman could not identify the man Harley sought.
• Catwoman wounded Harley, ran out her ammunition, and punched her toward the Lazarus Pit as Harley and Harlene’s personalities switched.
• Harley and Harlene fell into the Lazarus Pit, while Bruce and Hush faced off at Wayne Manor with Barbara already knocked down.

Batman faced a choice between saving Dick and stopping the Joker virus from spreading through Gotham, but Dane revealed a way to save both. Batman then asked whether Hush’s bomb could be deactivated without killing him.

• Hush revealed himself as the Joker and disclosed that he had implanted a miniature bomb in Nightwing and planned to spread his blood using Project Rain.
• The Joker forced Batman to choose between saving Nightwing and stopping Project Rain, and Batman chose to stop the machine while Barbara searched the manor for the remote.
• Dane appeared and told Batman that the remote was attached to Hush’s heart, so stopping Hush’s heart would save Dick and leave time to destroy Project Rain.
• Batman asked Dane whether the bomb could be deactivated without killing Hush, and Dane challenged him for asking.

Dane forced Batman to choose between saving Dick and killing Thomas, and Batman killed him with the Kiss of Death, sending the Joker’s soul to Dane. After learning Project Rain was handled, Dane rushed to ACE Chemical Plant and rescued Harley from the Lazarus Pit.

• Dane revealed that he had sent Jason a recording of Batman’s confrontation with the Joker, and Jason said he was dealing with Project Rain.
• Batman discovered that the device stopping the microbomb was implanted in Thomas’s heart, while Dane exposed Thomas’s cooperation with the Joker.
• When Thomas tried to escape and Dick’s time ran short, Barbara offered to kill him, but Batman took the Kiss of Death and stabbed Thomas, killing him and capturing the Joker’s soul.
• Jason reported that he had dealt with Project Rain, while Dane sensed Harley was in danger and left Batman, Barbara, and the unconscious Dick behind.
• At ACE Chemical Plant, Dane learned from Catwoman that a girl had fallen into the Lazarus Pit, then rescued Harley and brought her to The Rock of Eternity, where she woke up.